The Surprising Health Benefits of Cleaning and You
It was supposed to be a joke when Monica on Friends talked about cleaning as “the thing” she does to relax when stressed. I even had a good chuckle myself because, well, who doesn’t like to chuckle.
The thing is that Monica is actually the one who is having the last laugh at all of us as cleaning really does have health benefits, especially during times of high stress. It’s not just something to do to pass the time. We all know that there are environmental benefits (goodbye dust bunnies and random smells), but did you know that there are physical and mental health benefits as well?
Like it or not - cleaning can actually be a beautiful part of our overall health routine!
Let’s learn why!
Cleaning Gets Physical
Cleaning is physical - there’s no way around it. Even if gently sweeping a broom across the floor, you’re still moving. And all movement is good for your body.
Cleaning and the physical aspects help to get our overly sedentary bodies moving, get the blood flowing, our heart rate up, and a much-needed stretching of our muscles.
Not only that, but when we clean, we create a healthier environment for our house because we minimize dust, remove dirt that carries particles (and even bugs) that impact air quality, and help to limit the spread of any bacteria from surface to surface and person to person. Removing pollen, pet dander, mildew, and other hidden microbes ensures that we’re not inadvertently harming our immune system.
Cleaning is Psychological
Cleaning is such a gift for our mental health. It allows us to feel a sense of accomplishment. It provides our mind time to wander and daydream; time to indirectly sort through our thoughts; and time to just be focused on something else that has a clear beginning and end.
Cleaning allows us to gain a sense of control of our environment - which is so much more important since the spread of COVID-19 due to the lack of control many of us are feeling in this uncertainty. There are also short- and long-term impacts on one’s mood, helping to lower one’s risk for anxiety and depression.
Further - cleaning, particularly deep cleaning, can inspire us to get creative or reconnect with hobbies. So many hidden treasures are found when we clean - old paintbrushes, pictures of travelling, medals from track and field days - that we can be inspired to start these hobbies again. Tapping into things that brought us joy for the sake of joy. And without cleaning, we may not have found these old treasures. Reigniting joy is just good for all our mental health these days.
Cleaning Stops Clutter
Clutter just appears suddenly. I know - I’ve seen it happen. But clutter, no matter how small, has an impact on our ability to focus, be present, and relax within a space.
Even more, clutter impacts our ability to make healthy decisions. A 2013 study highlighted in Psychological Science showed that when people are in a clean, more organized environment, they tend to make healthier choices both in terms of diet and physical activity. Meaning - our clutter isn’t just impacting our mental health...it’s impacting our ability to CHOOSE to make healthy physical choices.
When we take the time to remove clutter, even something as small as organizing the papers on our desk in a nice pile rather than “strategically scattered,” we improve our ability to tune into our body so we can understand what we actually need.
To get the benefits of cleaning, you don’t have to do a top to bottom of everything (like Monica would). Rather, a simple scrubbing of a toilet or vacuuming one single room, heck even emptying the dishwasher or putting those sink dishes into the dishwasher, can be enough to help give you a health boost.
If you already have your health routine in place, though, let us know. Perhaps professional cleaning can take you to a whole other level?